Tail light DOT date

[Kevin M]

Noticed this while washing my car the other day. Couldn’t find anything on here as to why the DOT date isn’t the year my car was built. My assumption is they made enough for 25000 or so cars in 1987 but didn’t use them all. Every other car I have owned and my parents have had has the date of the year the car was made. Just thought this was interesting. 

[Ronnie]

Maybe it's the date the DOT approved the Reatta taillight for use on US highways.??

[MRJBUICK]

Ronnie i think you are correct, many times the style of the taillight changes with model change

if you look on the late 80s front drive Lesabre/Park Ave taillight i believe you will see the same thing 

because those lights were used for quite a few model years

[Kevin M]

That actually makes sense. All my cars have been first year more or less. I had a 95 dodge neon. And a 97 lesabre. The neon had 1995 on it. The lesabre had 97.  My 98 lesabre has 97 but I assumed that was because it was made that year.